This is a historical and genealogical guide to the county of Barnstable. You will find help with town histories, vital records, deeds and land records, city directories, cemetery records and cemeteries, churches, town records, newspapers, maps, and libraries.<br>

Barnstable County is often called Cape Cod and both refer to the same region. This is area where the ''Mayflower'' first landed at what is now called Provincetown. The area was a frequent stop for early fishermen before the arrival of the Pilgrims, and settlements started here not long after the founding of [[Plymouth Colony|Plymouth Colony]]. The earliest records will be found in the Colony's records and those of the individual towns. [[Plymouth Colony|Plymouth Colony]] did not establish a county system until 1685. This county became part of [[Massachusetts Bay Colony|Massachusetts Bay Colony]] in 1691. Since settlers generally used the water for transportation, it is not uncommon to find Cape Codders on the coast of Maine, New Jersey, Barbados, and places in between. There was a fire in 1827 that destroyed almost all the deeds to that point. Fortunately, the probate records survive.<br>

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Barnstable County is part of Cape Cod and was made an island when the Cape Cod Canal was finished in 1914. (besides the two vehicle bridges and a railroad bridge across the canal the only other other access is by boat or plane). Well there is a little piece of the county (part of Bourne) on the north side of the canal, but it is still fun to think of it as an island. In fact, some of the islanders may have advocated closing the canal bridges to vehicle traffic.

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=== Historical Data ===

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The ''Mayflower'' and its 99 passengers landed first on Cape Cod near Provincetown and then at Plymouth on 21 Nov 1620.

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The basic data are from the historical county boundary series<ref>[http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/MA_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm#BARNSTABLE Massachusetts Atlas of Historical County Boundaries]</ref> with additions from various sources.

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The ship ''Fortune'' arrived in Nov 1621.

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{| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1"

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|-

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! width="100" scope="col" | Dates

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! width="500" scope="col" | Events

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| 2 June 1685

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| Barnstable was one of three original counties created by New Plymouth Colony. [Ply. Laws, Ch. 6, p. 19]

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| 7 Oct. 1691

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| Barnstable became a county in the rechartered Massachusetts Bay Colony with no change to its borders. [Mass. Col. Acts, Vol. 1, Ch. 27 [1692/3], Sec. 1, p. 63]

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| 19 Nov. 1707

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| Lost the town of [[Rochester, Massachusetts|Rochester]] when it was moved into the jurisdiction of [[Plymouth County, Massachusetts|Plymouth County]]. [Mass. Col. Acts, Vol. 21, Ch. 60 [1707], p. 755]

The ''Anne'' and ''Little James ''followed so that by 1624 there are about 180 persons in Plymouth Colony.

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[[Image:Ma-barnstable.png|right|400px|Ma-barnstable.png]]The following list of present-day Barnstable County towns and cities links them to their individual pages. There you will find a list of other names used for the town or city and of villages and sections of the town or city.<br><br>

*Congregational Churches in Massachusetts. Barnstable Association. ''The Barnstable Conference of Evangelical Churches, comprising the constitution of the conference, with a concise history of the churches'' (Yarmouthport, Mass., 1866), 50 pp.<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/642659078 WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; Not at FHL.<br>No digital version found.<br>

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Settlers in [[Yarmouth, Massachusetts|Yarmouth]] before 1639 and the Town of [[Barnstable, Massachusetts|Barnstable]] in 1638.

*Claude E. Heaton, "The Indians had a name for it" in ''Cape Cod Compass'', 20 [1967]: 34-35, 78-79, OR 7 [1952]: 53-56.<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/7476008 WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; Not at FHL.<br>

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Barnstable County was originally part of [[Plymouth Colony|Plymouth Colony]], separated from Massachusetts Bay colony to the north by "the Old Colony Line." Plymouth Colony was initially centered on the landing place of the Pilgrims, the town of Plymouth. But since the 1620s the population and reach of the colony had grown considerable. At first, Governor Bradford had only one assistant, Isaac Allerton. By 1685 the colony was governed by a governor, a deputy governor, six assistants, deputies and constables from seventeen towns, grand jury members, and highway surveyors. The seventeen towns of Plymouth Colony at that time were governed by selectmen. So in 1685, with government rapidly growing and travel still difficult, the deputies of the General Court which made the laws for the Colony decided to divide the colony into three counties, Bristol to the south and west, Barnstable to the south and east and Plymouth to the north. These three counties would each have a government able to record deeds, operate judicial courts and more closely respond to the needs of the citizens.

*Enoch Pratt, "Complete List of the Congregational Ministers in the County of Barnstable, Mass. from the settlement of the country to 1842" in ''American Quarterly Register'', 15 [1842/3]: [http://archive.org/stream/americanquarterlv15amer#page/58/mode/2up 58-72].<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/145084550 WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; Not at FHL.<br>

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Barnstable - The County, Town or Village? Town of [[Barnstable, Massachusetts|Barnstable]] - founded by Rev. John Lothrop and his group after they left Scituate (pronoune Sit'-u-et). September 3, 1639 is the precise birthdate given to Barnstable, which really represents just the best guess of when a band of hardy colonists officially took advantage of Plymouth Colony laws passed in March, 1638 authorizing towns to send deputies to the General Court.

*[http://www.capecodgravestones.com/ Cape Cod Gravestones], a comprehensive inventory of gravestones up to 1880 [and now working up to 1900] for all fifteen towns on the Cape - many early ones include a photograph.<br>

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==== Boundary Changes ====

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*[http://www.genealogycapecod.com/ Robbin's Favorite Genealogy Sites], a collection of Cape Cod genealogy links for libraries and resources available on the Internet.<br>

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*[http://www.plymouthcolony.net/barnstable/ The Barnstable County MA GenWeb Project], an member of [[MAGenWeb|The MAGenWeb Project]], an affiliate of [[USGenWeb|The USGenWeb Project]].

*[http://usgwarchives.net/ma/mafiles.htm#Barnstable The USGenWeb Archives Project] for Barnstable County

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Established as a County in the year 1685, the current boundary lines were drawn in 1707 and have not changed since that date.

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==== Record Loss ====

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== Records and Resources ==

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=== Almanacs ===

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Manuscripts digitized online:<br>

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=== Archives and libraries ===

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*Lydia B. Brownson, Grace W. Held, and Doris V. Norton, "Genealogical Notes of Cape Cod Families" (Duxbury, Mass., typ., 1966), 50v.<br>This manuscript is part of the [http://www.sturgislibrary.org/collections/special Special Collections] at the Sturis Library in Barnstable. It is alphabetically by surname and then by given name below that. It is a culmination of research in published histories and genealogies, and from the vital records of the various towns.<br>Digital version of the 50 volumes is at [http://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22Brownson%2C+Lydia+B.%3B+Norton%2C+Doris+V.%3B+Held%2C+Grace+V.%22&utm_source=June+2012+News+from++the+Sturgis+Library&utm_campaign=June+2012+newsletter&utm_medium=email Internet Archive]. To go directly to an individual volume, use this guide below:<br>

In Massachusetts, the original vital records (of births, marriages, and deaths) have been created and maintained by the town or city in which the event occurred. In very early colonial times, copies of these records were submitted to the county, but that practice died out before 1800. There were marriage intentions commonly recorded in the bride's home town and additional recordings maybe found in the groom's home town and their current residence.<br>

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==== Statistics ====

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Massachusetts was the first state to bring a unified state-level recording of these events (but not marriage intentions) in 1841 (Boston excluded until 1850). The associated records of divorce and adoption are handled by the courts. The state has maintained a state-wide index to divorces since 1952, but adoption records will require more researching to discover.<br>

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=== Cemeteries ===

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It is easiest to start with the state vital records for events since 1841, though realize the original record is with the town or city. More details can be found on the [[Massachusetts Genealogy Guide#Vital_Records|Massachusetts Genealogy Guide]] page.<br>

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<center>[[#top|Top of Page]]</center><br>

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=== Land Records ===

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*For local cemeteries, please refer to specific town/village in "Muncipalities and Communities" below.

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Land transfers, commonly called deeds, are recorded on the county level in Massachusetts. Not all deeds were recorded as is common practice today. The earliest transactions were charters or grants from the English Crown. Once local government was established, the colony would grant land to settlers directly or to towns to dole out. Some towns first start out as proprietorship and records were recorded there. Once towns were established, deeds were recorded on the county level.<br>

The Registry burned in 1827 and almost all records were lost before that point. Indexes go back to 1703, so it can be seen what is missing. Land owners were asked to re-record their deeds. These go back to 1783. Volume 61 (1804-1808) survived. Many unrecorded deeds have been given to the [[#Barnstable_County_Massachusetts_Libraries_and_Genealogy_Societies|Sturgis Library]] below. These have been published piecemeal over the years. The FHL catalog has these individual deeds cataloged.<br>

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<center>'''Original records'''</center><br>

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Records are available at the Registry. Most of the records are available [https://72.8.52.132/ALIS/WW400R.PGM '''ONLINE'''], they are:

*Wills, inventories, etc., 1637-1685, {{FHL|20632|item|disp=FHL film 904595 Item 1}} and [http://library.nehgs.org/record=b1051136~S0 New England Historic Genealogical Society].<br>Note: These records were copied in 1893 from the original records of [[Plymouth Colony|Plymouth Colony]] that reference to land that became Barnstable County.<br>

Probate and Family Court is organized on a county level in Massachusetts since the creation of the counties. The main records genealogists seek are testate (wills), intestate (administrations), guardianships, and divorces (since 1922), though there are many more that are valuable to any researcher, too. See a further discussion of the topic in general on the [[Massachusetts Genealogy Guide#court11|Massachusetts Genealogy Guide]].<br>

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[[Massachusetts 1855 State Census (FamilySearch Historical Records)|''Massachusetts 1855 State Census'']] A free Internet index and images to the 1855 Massachusetts State Census can be viewed on the [http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=collectionDetails&c=fs%3A1459985 FamilySearch Historical Records Search]. This index includes every name listed on the census and is linked to an image including information about each person’s residence and age in 1855, birthplace, occupation, other family members, and neighbors.

[[Massachusetts 1865 State Census (FamilySearch Historical Records)|''Massachusetts 1865 State Census'']] A free Internet index and images to the 1865 Massachusetts State Census can be viewed on the [http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=collectionDetails&c=fs%3A1410399 FamilySearch Historical Records Search.] This index includes every name listed on the census and is linked to an image including information about each person’s residence and age in 1865, birthplace, occupation, other family members, and neighbors.

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==== Maps ====

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*Wills, inventories, etc., 1637-1685, {{FHL|20632|item|disp=FHL film 904595 Item 1}} and [http://library.nehgs.org/record=b1051136~S0 New England Historic Genealogical Society].<br>Note: These records were copied in 1893 from the original records of [[Plymouth Colony|Plymouth Colony]] that reference to land that became Barnstable County.<br>

**Series never finished as the plan was to place it the society website, but they never got to Barnstable County.<br>

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<center>[[#top|Top of Page]]</center>

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=== Court records ===

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=== Other Court Records ===

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==== Indexes ====

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The court system can appear to be complex. The system was reorganized in 1686/1692, 1859, and 1978. Described below are the most commonly used records for history and genealogy, but realize that this list is incomplete. For more detailed information regarding court structure, see [[Massachusetts Genealogy Guide#Court_System|Understanding the Massachusetts Court System]].<br><br>Older records are held by:<br>[http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arccol/colidx.htm#court '''Supreme Judicial Court Archives''']<br>(administration - records stored in several off-site facilities and the Mass. Archives)<br>16th Floor, Highrise Court House<br>3 Pemberton Square<br>Boston MA 02109<br>Phone 617-557-1082<br>Email [mailto:Elizabeth.Bouvier@sjc.state.ma.us Elizabeth.Bouvier@sjc.state.ma.us]

This court was active from 1692 to 1827. The court heard criminal cases and had authority over county affairs that included levying taxes, reviewing town bylaws, highways, licensed liquor, regulated jails, supervised the administration of the poor laws, and appointed some county officials.<br>

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=== Directories ===

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No microfilmed records found at the Family History Library or Massachusetts Archives. See the Supreme Judicial Court Archives above for the original records. These records are likely '''all lost''' in the fire of 1827.<br>

The Quarterly Court of General Sessions was merged into the Inferior Court of Common Pleas in 1827, and that court was reorganized in 1859 to created the Superior Court as the new lower (i.e. trial) court. It covers both criminal and civil matters.<br>

The Supreme Judicial Court was established by the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 that combined the former Governor and Council with the Superior Court of Judicature creating the highest state court. This court hears appeals, writ of error, capital offenses, and crimes against the public good. That included divorces until that action was moved to the lower court in 1887.<br>

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=== Land and property ===

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No microfilmed records found at the Family History Library or Massachusetts Archives. See the Supreme Judicial Court Archives above for the original records. The records before 1827 are likely '''all lost''' in the fire of 1827.<br>

Naturalization records were created on a variety of governmental levels from the Federal down to the city at the same time. The county records for all levels are outlines below. For more information, see the [[Massachusetts Genealogy Guide#Naturalization_Records|Massachusetts state page]] for more on naturalization.<br>

There are so many published maps of interest to genealogists and historians that this list will not be recreated here. The focus is with resources you can access online and in the Family History Library.

[http://www.capecodgensoc.org Cape Cod Genealogical Society] serves primarily Mid and Lower Cape towns. If you image Cape Cod as an arm with Provincetown as the hand then Upper Cape corresponds with upper arm and lower Cape corresponds with lower arm (even though Lower Cape town of Provincetown at the tip of the peninsula is "higher" than Falmouth which is located in the Upper Cape)

*[http://www.plymouthcolony.net/barnstable/ The Barnstable County MA GenWeb Project], an member of [[MAGenWeb|The MAGenWeb Project]], an affiliate of [[USGenWeb|The USGenWeb Project]].

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<center>[[#top|Top of Page]]</center>

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*[http://usgwarchives.net/ma/mafiles.htm#Barnstable The USGenWeb Archives Project] for Barnstable County

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== Barnstable County Massachusetts Genealogy Societies ==

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*[http://usgwarchives.org/ma/mafiles.htm#Barnstable The USGenWeb Archives Project] for Barnstable County (backup site)

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*[http://www.gurganus.org/ourfamily/county.cfm/state/MA/county/Barnstable%20Co Barnstable County at Our Family Tree]

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== References ==

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[http://www.sturgislibrary.org/ '''Sturgis Library''']<br>PO Box 606<br>3090 Main Street<br>Barnstable MA 02630<br>Phone 508-362-6636<br>Email [mailto:sturgislibrary@comcast.net sturgislibrary@comcast.net]<br>This is the best genealogical library on the Cape with newspaper archive for the ''Barnstable Patriot'', 1830-1930, with links ot other Cape archives; and Lothrop Genealogy and Local History Collection.<br>

Revision as of 01:36, 17 September 2013

This is a historical and genealogical guide to the county of Barnstable. You will find help with town histories, vital records, deeds and land records, city directories, cemetery records and cemeteries, churches, town records, newspapers, maps, and libraries.

Barnstable County Massachusetts History

Brief History

Barnstable County is often called Cape Cod and both refer to the same region. This is area where the Mayflower first landed at what is now called Provincetown. The area was a frequent stop for early fishermen before the arrival of the Pilgrims, and settlements started here not long after the founding of Plymouth Colony. The earliest records will be found in the Colony's records and those of the individual towns. Plymouth Colony did not establish a county system until 1685. This county became part of Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691. Since settlers generally used the water for transportation, it is not uncommon to find Cape Codders on the coast of Maine, New Jersey, Barbados, and places in between. There was a fire in 1827 that destroyed almost all the deeds to that point. Fortunately, the probate records survive.

Historical Data

The basic data are from the historical county boundary series[1] with additions from various sources.

Dates

Events

2 June 1685

Barnstable was one of three original counties created by New Plymouth Colony. [Ply. Laws, Ch. 6, p. 19]

7 Oct. 1691

Barnstable became a county in the rechartered Massachusetts Bay Colony with no change to its borders. [Mass. Col. Acts, Vol. 1, Ch. 27 [1692/3], Sec. 1, p. 63]

19 Nov. 1707

Lost the town of Rochester when it was moved into the jurisdiction of Plymouth County. [Mass. Col. Acts, Vol. 21, Ch. 60 [1707], p. 755]

Towns and Cities

The following list of present-day Barnstable County towns and cities links them to their individual pages. There you will find a list of other names used for the town or city and of villages and sections of the town or city.

Congregational Churches in Massachusetts. Barnstable Association. The Barnstable Conference of Evangelical Churches, comprising the constitution of the conference, with a concise history of the churches (Yarmouthport, Mass., 1866), 50 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.No digital version found.

Enoch Pratt, "Complete List of the Congregational Ministers in the County of Barnstable, Mass. from the settlement of the country to 1842" in American Quarterly Register, 15 [1842/3]: 58-72.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Lydia B. Brownson, Grace W. Held, and Doris V. Norton, "Genealogical Notes of Cape Cod Families" (Duxbury, Mass., typ., 1966), 50v.This manuscript is part of the Special Collections at the Sturis Library in Barnstable. It is alphabetically by surname and then by given name below that. It is a culmination of research in published histories and genealogies, and from the vital records of the various towns.Digital version of the 50 volumes is at Internet Archive. To go directly to an individual volume, use this guide below:

Barnstable County Massachusetts Genealogy Resources

Vital Records

In Massachusetts, the original vital records (of births, marriages, and deaths) have been created and maintained by the town or city in which the event occurred. In very early colonial times, copies of these records were submitted to the county, but that practice died out before 1800. There were marriage intentions commonly recorded in the bride's home town and additional recordings maybe found in the groom's home town and their current residence.

Massachusetts was the first state to bring a unified state-level recording of these events (but not marriage intentions) in 1841 (Boston excluded until 1850). The associated records of divorce and adoption are handled by the courts. The state has maintained a state-wide index to divorces since 1952, but adoption records will require more researching to discover.

It is easiest to start with the state vital records for events since 1841, though realize the original record is with the town or city. More details can be found on the Massachusetts Genealogy Guide page.

Land Records

Land transfers, commonly called deeds, are recorded on the county level in Massachusetts. Not all deeds were recorded as is common practice today. The earliest transactions were charters or grants from the English Crown. Once local government was established, the colony would grant land to settlers directly or to towns to dole out. Some towns first start out as proprietorship and records were recorded there. Once towns were established, deeds were recorded on the county level.

The Registry burned in 1827 and almost all records were lost before that point. Indexes go back to 1703, so it can be seen what is missing. Land owners were asked to re-record their deeds. These go back to 1783. Volume 61 (1804-1808) survived. Many unrecorded deeds have been given to the Sturgis Library below. These have been published piecemeal over the years. The FHL catalog has these individual deeds cataloged.

Original records

Records are available at the Registry. Most of the records are available ONLINE, they are:

Recorded land [deeds], indexes and deeds, 1704-present.

Recorded land plans, indexes and deeds, all.

Land Court name index, incomplete, see changing caveat on search screen.

Probate Records

Probate and Family Court is organized on a county level in Massachusetts since the creation of the counties. The main records genealogists seek are testate (wills), intestate (administrations), guardianships, and divorces (since 1922), though there are many more that are valuable to any researcher, too. See a further discussion of the topic in general on the Massachusetts Genealogy Guide.

Other Court Records

The court system can appear to be complex. The system was reorganized in 1686/1692, 1859, and 1978. Described below are the most commonly used records for history and genealogy, but realize that this list is incomplete. For more detailed information regarding court structure, see Understanding the Massachusetts Court System.

Quarterly Court of General Sessions of the Peace

This court was active from 1692 to 1827. The court heard criminal cases and had authority over county affairs that included levying taxes, reviewing town bylaws, highways, licensed liquor, regulated jails, supervised the administration of the poor laws, and appointed some county officials.

No microfilmed records found at the Family History Library or Massachusetts Archives. See the Supreme Judicial Court Archives above for the original records. These records are likely all lost in the fire of 1827.

Superior Court

The Quarterly Court of General Sessions was merged into the Inferior Court of Common Pleas in 1827, and that court was reorganized in 1859 to created the Superior Court as the new lower (i.e. trial) court. It covers both criminal and civil matters.

Supreme Judicial Court

The Supreme Judicial Court was established by the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 that combined the former Governor and Council with the Superior Court of Judicature creating the highest state court. This court hears appeals, writ of error, capital offenses, and crimes against the public good. That included divorces until that action was moved to the lower court in 1887.

No microfilmed records found at the Family History Library or Massachusetts Archives. See the Supreme Judicial Court Archives above for the original records. The records before 1827 are likely all lost in the fire of 1827.

Naturalization Records

Naturalization records were created on a variety of governmental levels from the Federal down to the city at the same time. The county records for all levels are outlines below. For more information, see the Massachusetts state page for more on naturalization.

Maps

There are so many published maps of interest to genealogists and historians that this list will not be recreated here. The focus is with resources you can access online and in the Family History Library.

Barnstable County Massachusetts Genealogy Societies

Sturgis LibraryPO Box 6063090 Main StreetBarnstable MA 02630Phone 508-362-6636Email sturgislibrary@comcast.netThis is the best genealogical library on the Cape with newspaper archive for the Barnstable Patriot, 1830-1930, with links ot other Cape archives; and Lothrop Genealogy and Local History Collection.